The present invention relates to novel 4,5-dihydro-6H-imidazo[4,5,1-ij]quinolin-6-one-6-oxime-O-sulfonic acid compounds, processes for producing said compounds, intermediate compounds, i.e. novel 4,5-dihydro-6H-imidazo[4,5,1-ij]quinolin-6-one compounds and 4,5-dihydro-6H-imidazo[4,5,1-ij]quinolin-6-one-6-oxime compounds in the synthesis of said compounds, processes for producing said intermediate compounds, and compositions containing said compounds with potent diuretic activity that can be used for the treatment and/or the prevention of hypertension, oedema and/or for the removal of ascites.
For the treatment of hypertension, benzothiazide derivatives such as trichloromethiazide or so-called loop diuretics such as furosemide have widely been used to lower blood pressure. Many of these diuretics, however, are known to show several adverse reactions in common, for example, unbalances of electrolytes such as hypokalemia; hyperuricemia; digestive troubles such as nausea or vomiting; blood troubles such as thrombocytopenia or leukopenia; decrease in glucose tolerance; and disorders in lipid metabolism. Even in furosemide, several adverse reactions such as hypokalemia, hyperuricemia or disorders in sugar metabolism have frequently been reported.
Diuretics have also been used for the treatment of oedema resulted from retention of water and electrolytes based on cardiac, renal or hepatic insufficiencies or on metabolic disorders, but in the case of the treatment of ascites which is often observed in the patients with abdominal tumor or liver cirrhosis, these conventionally used diuretics show only marginal effect to the removal of ascites.
These benzothiazide diuretics and loop diuretics are known to have similar chemical structures.
With the foregoing background, it has been desired to develop novel diuretics that have potent diuretic activities and are useful for the treatment of hypertension, oedema and ascites and that do not cause aforementioned adverse reactions by synthesizing compounds whose chemical structures are novel and different from those of known diuretics.